


Blind to Love

by Kaetastrophic



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Blind Character, Blindness, Disability, Disabled Character, F/M, High School, School, Soulmates, the red string one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26852329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaetastrophic/pseuds/Kaetastrophic
Summary: Liam was the popular high school jock who always got the hot girl, never thinking or needing more. Then one day, unexpectedly, his soul mate string is formed and he's quite sure it doesn't connect to his girlfriend.ORBoy finds out his soul mate is blind, and she doesn't know the string has formed between them.
Kudos: 2





	Blind to Love

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a fanwork between a canon character and an oc but I haven't established this oc to my readers so I decided just to post this as an original work instead (with changed names). Because of this, not many people will probably read it but oh well.

It was Friday when it happened. Liam was groaning on the couch when he noticed the red strong form. It kind of just shimmered into place and Liam spent the next hour staring at his finger that the string had been tied to.

In the beginning, he tried to pull it off- just to see if it could be pulled off (it couldn't). After some suspicious looks from his sister, Liam decided he had been silent for long enough and went to his friend's house.

As he expected, Jason was over the moon. Everyone wanted to see that red string. Couples waited years to see if a string would form; as you can have more than one soul mate in a lifetime, and because of this the string only appeared either when you came into close proximity of them or after a while of dating. 

And for Liam, both options were plausible. Either a new person had moved into town or he and his girlfriend had finally been connected. Nonetheless, he was slightly worried (unusual for him, so he didn't voice it). Jason told him to go meet Julia right there and then to see if they had been connected. He decided to put it off until Monday. 

In fact, he ignored it all weekend. He knew some people's string formed and they actually met the person years afterwards. 'Close proximity' always meant different things, sometimes the town, the state, sometimes even just the country. The only thing that matter then was if Julia was his soulmate. And he didn't quite want to find out just then. Liam didn't like confrontation or...anything to do with 'feelings', so he managed to avoid his high maintenance girlfriend all weekend. 

When Monday morning arrived, he heard something that made him almost drop his cereal bowl;

"People finally moved into the house that the Mulligans had," his mom told his father. "New people, new people to judge us,"

"Relax,"

"No, we are expected to go and meet these new people, as good neighbours are,"

"Since when are we 'good neighbours'?" 

His mom rolled her eyes. "Look, let's just all go and visit quickly before school. Before Nancy Donahue does and sets the expectations all high,"

And with that, she had managed to shove all three kids and her husband into the car and drove off to the house to meet the new neighbours.

During the whole ride, Liam was thinking, what if my string is related to this new move in?

It was one-hundred per cent plausible. And he was oddly silent for the short car ride.

At the door, he didn't know whether to sigh a sigh of relief, as the string from his hand didn't lead into the house that his mom was knocking on to. He barely remembered who answered the door.

At school, he was faced by Jason, who immediately made an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Liam, I really am!"

"How could you even? Like, I thought you were smart, yet you went around and told everyone," Liam groaned, rubbing his head with his hands. His eyes were fixed on his string that laid on the floor of the school corridors, leading to goodness knows where. He knew that some people, dedicated people, followed the string, but sometimes that led them into year-long road trips because usually people aren't lucky and their soul mates lived ages away.

Which is why Formed Soul mates are more common when you were in a relationship and then the string forms. It was metaphorical close proximity (getting to know one's mind).

"Liam!" the voice of his girlfriend came from behind him, chopping away his thoughts. He frowned, realising his string hadn't moved and Julia was behind him. He spun around. "I've heard the rumours, are they true?" she looked at him, creating a scene with her high shrills.

Liam stared at her, noting the fact that the string did not connect them. She must know, that they weren't soul mates if he had his string formed but she didn't. He meekly nodded. In response, Julia seemed to scream, then yelled, "then we're done," before stalking off.

Liam wanted to protest that, the chances of him actually meeting his soulmate were slim, that normal couples tended to stay together even when a string forms that isn't between them, but he couldn't get the words out- no, because he realised, he was the only confirmed person in his high-school that had a soul mate.

The silent corridor quickly entered itself usual busy self as the bell rang and all of a sudden everyone was late for class.

"Sorry dude," Jason apologized again. "I gotta get to class,"

And Liam found himself speed walking through the mostly empty corridors, red in the face and breathing heavily, thoughts dancing about in his mind. 

With him staring at the floor, he was bound to bump into someone, and someone he did bump into.

"Sorry!" The higher-pitched voice said in despair as they stumbled backwards. 

Liam stepped back in surprise. "That was my bad, I wasn't looking where I was going," he found himself saying, staring at confusion at the student he had bumped into (he didn't recognise them).

"Ha, yeah well, I never look," she chuckled, Liam establishing 'she' by her voice and not her clothing attire and short choppy hairstyle. He realised he didn't reply. "Because I'm blind," she added, chuckling at her own joke whilst waving the guide stick Liam realised was on her hand. 

That's when his heart dropped. In the same hand, was tangled the red string that connected to his own hand. His eyes widened and forgot to speak.

"Hello?" she urged, with concern in her voice.

"S-sorry," Liam choked out. "You're blind?" 

"Yes. And the new kid," she added with some hesitation. 

New kid. Liam had so many questions. "Did you recently move into the house on Green Street?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"My family insisted on saying hello this morning, we live on the next street," Liam explained, still staring at his soul mate. She certainly wasn't the conventional hot girl he was used to; she wore similar clothes that he did and most boys did. A sweatshirt with a collared shirt underneath; not commonly worn by attention-seeking teenage girls, neither did she look like one either, with a (probably home done) hair cut shorter than his own and dark glasses that cover her eyes. Her blind eyes.

"Oh right. That's cool! I'm Elizabeth, by the way,"

"I'm Liam," he mumbled in return. "Are you really blind? Like you can't see anything?" he asked, his thoughts leading into one singular thought; Could she see the red string? 

"No, I can't see anything at all," she replied with a smile. "You seem kinda distant, is everything alright?"

"Y-yes," he frowned. "Well not really, I just got dumped," 

"Oh. That must suck. I'm late for class," She realised suddenly. "Do you know where Mr Conner's math class is?" 

"Yes, I'm in that class too actually, let me take you there," he replied, before awkwardly pausing. "Um, maybe it'll be easier to you hold onto my arm of something."

"Oh, thank you," Elizabeth grinned, placing her hand, the one with the red string, on his forearm. 

Liam didn't tell her. He didn't tell her for the rest of the day. He didn't tell anyone. 

-

"Why are you so silent Liam, it's getting freaky," Lacy, his sister, frowned at the dinner table. "You haven't insulted me one this weekend and none at all today,"

"I'm fine, jeez," Liam coughed, ignoring his parent's glance at each other.

"Liam, we have also noticed you change in behaviour," his mom began. 

Oh man, now she's started up- "I said I'm fine mom," he rolled his eyes, flicking the straw in his cup in annoyance.

"Alright," she put her hands up as if surrendering. 

His family didn't press on. He laid in bed thinking again; he had been thinking more this week than in his whole lifetime. Did he have to tell her? Did she know? He probably wouldn't have known the string had appeared on feelings alone. Did blind people get a special feeling since they couldn't see it? 

Too many questions. 

And they didn't get answered that night; or the following day. 

During class the next day he found himself staring at Elizabeth, at her, all day. His mind only fazed back into conversation whenever they were discussing the new kid. 

That lunch break they witnessed one of the popular jocks get mad at her, and she retaliated, something odd and new for the school. She told him off, and Liam felt odd feelings he couldn't identify. And he swore she glanced at him for a moment (she couldn't have but he tried to believe it).

"How does it feel to have a soul mate?" One of the girls asked during a group assignment, propping her head up dreamily on her hand. 

"Um," Liam shrugged. "Nothing special I suppose,"

"Do you know who they are?" another asked.

"No," he replied, trying to be as casual as he could sound.

"Are you ever going to date someone again? If it isn't them?" one of the hotter girls questioned.

He hadn't thought of that. If he never told her, and now that everyone knew he had one, would there be a chance of another relationship? He never answered; they got told off for talking off-topic.

After school, Liam paced back and forth between his house and hers. Did he want to tell her? He barely knew her. Of course pacing between streets looked conspicuous and one of his neighbours, Mrs Harley called out to him from her porch.

"What's wrong, young man? Can't you decided on something?" she called. 

Liam didn't quite want to talk to her, she was an older lady whose husband had died a few years ago. Then he remembered; he remembered her talking a lot about him- her soul mate. Maybe she could help him. "In fact, I do,"

And that's how he found himself in her lounge room with a biscuit in his hand. 

"I got the red string to my dear Thomas when I was 24, which is considered rather young and I was confused. Lots of conflicting thoughts are common within the Forming," she explained calmly, pouring tea for herself. "I can't imagine what it must be like for you, you haven't even left school yet.." she mumbled to herself. "Your dilemma is rather unique,"

"I'm just not sure what to do. Normally both people would be able to see the string. She probably deserves to know," 

"I agree. I think the best thing for you to do is talk, that is usually the best way to go with relationships. Communication,"

That was all the conversation consisted of, and Liam found himself at the door to her house. At this point, he was worried, he barely knew her. She had hung out with Jason and some of the other girls in his class in the last two days. She had even spoken to him multiple times.

He had heard her speak and act in class; she was smart and very different from the mindless hot girls he had dated before. He didn't know what to say.

And he certainly didn't when she answered the door. 

"Liam? What are you doing here?" She asked.

Liam stared at her. "Um, is there somewhere private we can go...?"

"Sure," she frowned at him, leading him around to the back. "What's wrong?"

Liam fiddled with the string in his hand, glancing at the same string on hers. "Can you see it?" he finally blurted out. "The string?" he looked intently at her eyes (technically, at her glasses).

He saw her look surprised. "W-what string?"

"You know," he shrugged, even though he knew she couldn't see it. "The soul mate string,"

"No," she finally said after a breath. "Why?" her voice cracked.

"Mine appeared four days ago...and I realised you were on the other side when we bumped into each other on Monday," Liam quickly explained, going red and flustered. 

"I...I heard the rumours that you had your string formed...but I..." she muttered. "And it's connected to me?"

"Yes," he held his breath. 

"Which hand?" she whispered nervously.

"Your right," 

He watched as she felt her fingers with her other hand, at first it went right through the string, then after a second, she felt it properly. 

"I didn't know what to do but I figured the best thing to do is to tell you at least. Since if you could see then you would've found out anyway," he said. 

"What do you want to do then?" she asked, fidgeting with her glasses.

"I don't know," 

She bit her lips and sighed. "I...we're so young though,"

"I know,"

They stared at each other in silence until Elizabeth raised her hand to her glasses and took them off. Liam's own eyes widened, looking at hers for the first time. They were blue, Liam didn't know what he expected but he didn't expect to be overwhelmed. 

"They're pretty," he found himself saying. "Your eyes I mean,"

"Thank you," she said, obviously staring at him but her eyes still seemed distant, slightly off (but pretty nonetheless). "I wish I could see it. And you. But I can feel it," she muttered, her other hand tracing the short string between them until she reached his own hand. 

Liam tensed but let her feel his hand. He closed his eyes and tried to feel what she would, placing his other hand onto her shoulder as they made the string short by stepping closer. "What do we do then?" he asked, whispering into her ear.

"Young soul mates aren't unheard of," she replied, her hand reaching his jaw- then his hair. She swallowed. 

"Do you want to tell anyone?" he frowned.

"I think it's inevitable since everyone knows you've got a soul mate, they might think you dishonest if they didn't know I wasn't them," she figured.

"Alright," he said, finally opening his eyes, to see her own.

And after that they stayed soulmates; she couldn't see the string but she could feel the connection.


End file.
